The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has organized a one-day workshop to sensitise stakeholders on the regulatory activities of NAFDAC.
During the opening ceremony in Potiskum town of Yobe State, the NAFDAC DG, Mrs. Yetunde Oluremi, represented by the state Coordinator, Lawan Musa Dadingelma, explained that one of the key strategies deployed by NAFDAC was to achieve zero tolerance to substandard and falsified medical products, unholsome food and spurious regulated products.
She said, “NAFDAC periodically receives complaints of drug abuse and misuse, illegal use of narcotics and psychotropic substances as well as spurious label claims, illegal adverts and hawking of herbal medicine by producers and markerters of this products in the state. ”
She thanked the government and people of Yobe State for responding in numbers to witness the flag-off of the sensitization workshop.
The NAFDAC boss explained: “The essence of regulation and control is to protect public health by ensuring that only the right quality regulated products that are safe, efficacious and wholesome reach the market and regulated products and stimulates growth of the industry.
“Through our numerous activities NAFDAC provides a well regulated and favorable environment for genuine operators in the regulated industries /sectors to explore their prospects and achieve their full potential for development. NAFDAC ensures that the regulated industry complies with relevant quality and safely specifications and can favorably compete in the international market”
She decried said, “Unfortunately all the efforts of NAFDAC at ensuring that only quality, safe, efficacious and unholsome products are made available to the public are being sabotaged by unscrupulous fakers and counterfeit products.”
According to her, effective collaboration and cooperation from the people of Yobe State is essential in building sustainable strategies against these problems.
The NAFDAC requested for a partnership to institutionalize proper coordination mechanisms that will involve all stakeholders with direct and indirect roles at combating counterfeit of drugs and other NAFDAC regulated products.
